gin as the diftemper produced in gaols, which is alfo contagious, to fay: Long confinement; deep anguifh; unwholefome food.' But the origin of its introduction at particular times in particular places is always to be traced to a parent.

"As for example, our prefent plague in Egypt, 1791, was imported from Conftantinople in a French fhip called l'Aimable Marie, Captain Eftienne; having feveral infected slaves on board. Some of them died at Alexandria, and the remainder were tranfported to Cairo. Ishmael Bey, Sheck Bellad, purchased them for Mamaluks. They infected his palace, and he fell himself a victim to it: from him the contagion fpread all over Egypt; and from Egypt to Rhodes, and Stanchio, and Scio, and Smyrna, and over all the coafts of Syria.

"The fame thing is true with refpect to every plague which I have known of during an acquaintance and intercourse of one and thirty years with the greatest part of the Turkish dominions.

"It is not in the air, as many, otherwife, great and learned men have fuppofed: nor is it conveyed by fwarins of infects generated in ftagnate waters. No precaution could defend us from it, in thofe cafes. It is, on the contrary, a conftant fact, that fuch as confine themselves to their houses, and avoid all contact with infected people, or with things which have been in contact with the infection, are fure to efcape it.

"It is, therefore, only "communicated by contact. I will not say abfolute contact, because there may be great danger in afcertaining the fact: but it is proved, that infected people may be approached within a few yards without danger; but how near I cannot take upon me pofitively and precisely to say." P. 127.

"Let us confider the character of the plague. What is the plague?

"A violent effervefcence in the humours of the body; or in the blood; or in the nervous fluids; or in all. I am not tenacious for the precife term. The world will know that I am no doctor: but an effervefcence which acting with more violence than the conftitution can bear, proves fuddenly fatal. In ftronger conftitutions, or in

weaker conftitutions, if they will have it fo, but in fuch conftitutions as refift the effervefcence, it refolves into tumours ftrongly inflamed, and offers a better chance of recovery.

"Then, what caufes effervefcences? "All acids, mixed with another fort of bodies called alkalis, will make a violent effervefcence. This, the Dictionary fays, is the great general criterion of effervefcences. Then I conclude the caufe of the disorder called the plague must be an acid. A malignant acid, if you pleafe, or a benignant acid; for I fancy that the quantity, or force of the acid, without any particular property even, might be equally deadly; it depending upon the violence of its action. As in elec trical operations, you will find a spark, or a ftream of fluid, benignant; and a fufficient fhock of the fame benignant fluid, deftructive. The danger may be in the quantity. But let it be malignant in its effence, that is not the quef tion: the queftion is-Is it an acid?

"The effect of acids, is inflammation. The plague has this character.” P. 131.

"If we confider acids in their effects on other bodies, they produce inflammation. And what are the predilections of flame? Why, generally speaking, to all oleaginous fubftances.”— P. 134.

"This difquifition led me to make an experiment; and in a glass I put fome pure olive-oil, and over it, on the glafs, at a diftance of half an inch at leaft, I put a lemon perfect, and almoft mature. And in a few hours I had the satisfaction to see the acid of the lemon trickling down the glafs, and mixing with the oil; and in about eight days the lemon had almoft exhaufted itself of every drop of its juice. I have always fucceeded in this experiment, but with great diverfity as to the time, from diverfity of feafon, and quality of the fruit.

"I had now an evidence of the predilection of the acid for an oil; and fo ftrong a predilection, that it would quit its natural body to intermix itself with this ftranger. These things may be common to profeffors in chymia: fo much the better; they will be the readier to approve me. But I have found them only now in the way to my purpose.

“What

What remained to be done now, but to try the experiment on the plague itfelf? An opportunity foon offered.

"My oppofite neighbour being at his window, looked afflicted: Ialked him what ailed him? He told me that a young man, his relation, in a part of the fame building he inhabited, was ftruck with the plague.- Anoint him with oil,' faid I, and he will do well.' He had no opinion of the oil, and did nothing. The next day I queftioned him, Well, how is your relation? Have you anointed him?

3

No, he is better!' It was falfe: the man was worse. The third day in the evening I faw him again; he was crying: What is the matter with you? is your relation dead?'- No; but he is very ill: he is dying!'- Anoint • him with oil,' I faid to him again: what do you rifk?- Oil is heating, he replied. Heating or cooling,' I £aid, would you have the man die? try it.' And he left me, and went and faw that his relation was anointed: and the next day the man was free from pain; with a good appetite, and a large tumour in his groin, but perfectly eafy. I ordered him to humect frequently the tumour with oil; and in eight days it came to fuppuration, and the man is now walking in the streets. This being promulgated among the neighbours, another infected perfon tried it, and was cured; and then another, and another, to the number of feven, whofe names I poffefs, and whofe bleffings I enjoy.

"Here then are evidences for my principle, which is, That the peftilential humour which caufeth the disease called the plague is an acid, and that it will quit the human body to fly to the oil, which it prefers'."P. 135.

"But the evidence of feven is too fmall, in a matter of fuch confequence to the world, to obtain implicit belief. But any evidence at all, in a matter of fuch confequence to the world, ought to make us anxious not to lose it; therefore I fay, let more try it. Seven, it may be presumed, might have recovered without help. Have not many Levens recovered? Yes: I give it, that more may be tried. Let my argument ftand for nothing: but in truth, the only feven that did try it recovered: let more try it. If the principle is good, it will prove its virtue; and if

not, what rifk is there in the operation, to a man infected with the plague?

"There is, however, a ftrange perverfenefs in the human character. Many, whose friends were in the agonies of death, have been recommended to try it; and they have anfwered, 'What can oil do? And their friends have died! Others, So many great 'doctors have pronounced the evil be'yond their skill, and is it now to be cured by oil? And they too have devoted their friends to the public conceit.

"But this is not the only inftance of mortal difeafes being cured by oil: fhould I fay, Difeafes that would have been mortal without it?'

"I have tried it on five rats ftung one by one by a fcorpion. The first fwelled to a great fize, and appeared to be near dead. I poured fome pure oil upon him, and he recovered, and in a few minutes ran away.

"But he might have recovered without the oil, as people fay of my feven perfons recovered from the plague.

"I put a fecond to the fcorpion, and the rat was ftung; and I left him to himself, and he died very foon. Then I prefumed that the former had been cured by the oil.

"I tried another, and cured him; and another, and he died; and another, and he was cured.

"There was that virtue, therefore, in the oil, or that predilection in the malignant humour which the fting infufed, for the oil, as to draw it from the body, and avert the poison.

"If the plague is abfolutely communicated by contact, or by a fpark emitted from the body at any diftance, why may not this contagion be aflimilated to the puncture of a fcorpion, or to the ftinging of a nettle? fince acids are fuppofed to be little pointed bodies, fitted to enter the particles they affail. There must be fomething very refembling in the characters of thefe evils: the poifon of the fcorpion, and the malignity of the plague, having such an aftonishing activity in contaminating the whole mafs of the blood, and are almost equally deadly in their effects. Then thould it furprise that the fame remedy thould be efficacious in both?

"I have applied oil to my foot in fits of the gout, and have appeafed the pain, and abated the inflammation al4 C 2

moft inftantly, without fuffering a return. It is now fix years fince I have ufed it in fits of the gout with neverfailing fuccefs. I have many witneffes to this truth, and do confider it as an infallible cure for the gout, as foon as it has refolved itself into an inflammation externally." P. 139.

LANDING OF THE BRITISH TROOPS IN EGYPT.

"THE orders were given. The men were to be in the boats by two o'clock in the morning of the 8th (March 1801); and upon the fignal of a rocket fired into the air from the admiral's fhip, the whole were to be put off towards the fhore.

"The rendezvous was appointed to be within the armed vellels stationed to cover the landing; and here the boats were to form, and take their order for proceeding to the fhore.

"The pofition of this rendezvous relatively to the coaft, or fite appointed for the general difembarkation, may be defcribed to be within the arch of a circle, whofe bafe, on a line (of about three miles in length) drawn from one extremity to the other, would be about a mile from the fhore.

"Within the line reprefenting the bafe, were stationed the brigs of war and bomb veffels defined to cover the landing. The Mondovi, commanded by Captain Stewart, was the centre fhip of thefe; and here did I ask leave to be, to look at this eventful scene.

"The rocket was fired, and the boats put off from the fhips. I foon after got into my boat, and on my way came up with and paffed the whole divifion of the army in about one hundred and fifty boats, and numbering nearly fix thousand men.

"You will have anticipated my reflections upon this fcene. The filence of the night, and the folemnity of the bufinefs, paffing along a space of fix miles towards the fhore, and amid this foreft of fhips, will naturally difpofe one to many of thofe ferious reflections, on the wonderful caft and compofition of men; which, particularly at an hour fo full of doom to thousands of us, will irresistibly intrude upon, and poffefs

the mind.

"You fee me in a boat, enveloped by the fable mantle of the night, fhrugged up to keep the cold from me;

my eyes turned up to the rich be fpangled heaven of Egypt, seeing the wonderful hand of the Creator in every orb; his omnipotence prefent to my mind: nothing heard in this folemnity, but the difmal murmur of cars, thoufands of oars dipping in the fea, pulling eager and hafty to deftruction! And that I fhould be among them, amid this tumult of war! reluctant to war, and rufhing among the foremost into the horrors of it! unaccountable deftiny of man!

"Ah! but ambition must have bounds! If ambition were to have no bounds, ambition would overawe the world! Then who fhall check ambi tion but the fons of freedom? But who fhall be worthy of freedom, but the virtuous? But who shall spurn at the impertinence of Gallic pride, but Englishmen? Then come on!-To work!

"At about daylight, the whole divifion were arrived at the rendezvous; and here they were employed arranging their military requifites until eight. It appeared, to our impatience, long, The French pofition, as to extent and appearance, I have delineated; but fortified as it was, and defended by four thousand men, it might have refifted the world. I with that I had talent to describe it to you; for having feen the difplay of its effects upon the landing, from fo near and central a fituation, I ought to be able to imprefs you with a proper idea of its force. The Commander in Chief faw it; but he viewed it with as much calm as the oppofition seemed to be stern and difficult to furmount: and there, where there feemed to be moft ftrength, there did he determine to make his attack. I have been told, that it is the characteristic feature of his military life always fo to do: and he did it-and he did well!

"The hour for moving forward at length come; the whole divifion was immediately in motion: the right wing under the fire of the caftle of Aboukir; the centre, under a fand-hill near fixty yards high, in the front and centre of the French pofition; and the left wing on the right of the French, leading from the principal fand-hill to a low point terminating at the entrance of the Aboukir lake. The fpaces, from the extremities of the French pofition to the commanding hill in the centre,

were

were interfperfed with inferior fandhills; and in the intervals between thefe fand-hills were ftationed infantry and artillery innumerable, to annoy us. All this scheme of fortification appeared to refer its bearings to the great fand-hill in the centre, which, befides' the cannon which were mounted on it to defend it, was, on account of the natural difficulty in afcending a yielding foil, deemed inaccefiible.

Under this amphitheatre of hills and hillocks, forming gradations which may be compared to the feats in thofe amazing structures, and on which cannon at frequent diftances all around were placed, as well as men to annoy us, did our brave army advance. Not a Frenchman was to be feen; not in any array, nor on the beach; but by ftealth from their concealments. Our flat boats, with about fifty men in each, were preceded by armed launches, to check the fire of the enemy; but they fuffered our boats unmolefted to advance, until the whole divifion was within the arch of the circle already defcribed; then opened fuch an hailftorm of shot and fhells of all dimenfions, from within the whole circumference of this arch, from front and Hanks; fuch an hail-ftorm, I fay (for whoever faw the effects of a moft dreadful hail-ftorm upon the water, can alone conceive an idea of it), of fhot and fhells upon our boats, as nothing but the immediate hand of Providence could fave from total fubmerfion.

"Let a man figure to himself the effect of a single fhell ftriking the water near a boat, and the columns of water it dafhes into the air before it, and then represent to himself the millions of thefe fhot and fhells, falling all around and among our army of boats, in quantity like hail; then be affured that only one of this ocean of boats was materially hurt by the percuffion of a fhell; and that none were fubmerfed by the inundation of water upon them; and then let him fay, if any thing but the immediate hand of Providence could have faved them.

"And let him confider, that under this ftorm, which is only confidered as to its real effects; under this inceffant storm of fhot and fhells, and grape and miffile of every denomination, filling the air with cloud, and fulphur, and fire, and thunder, and smoke, and all

the horrors of damnation fulminating about them, did our brave army advance: yes! advance! But how advance? Cooped up in boats like sheep; their hands across upon their breafts; inactive, not insensible of the dreadful lot to which every man was helplessly expofed; ftill undaunted, undauntedly advance; and intrepid and impatient, gain at length the fhore.

"There was, however, a moment in this proceeding like a pause, a very awful moment; it was the moment which coft Major Ogle his life. I faw it from the poop of the Mondovi; and from the painful feeling it gave me, I felt myself shrinking from the horror of the scene: it was that point when -Gone fo deep in gore,

As dangerous to retreat as wade quite

o'er.

"I could not conceive the reason of this paufe. I was trembling at the precipice which it prefented to our affairs; when obferving the beach, I fancied that I faw fome of our men on fhore: I was feized with a convulfion of joy; I fhouted-They are on fhore! huzza, my boys, they are on fhore! And all our fhip's company huzzaed; and fo the next; and fo the boats: it had the effect of wildfire; it caught like an electric fhock; the whole army fhouted-huzza! huzza! huzza! huzza! and on fhore they went." P. 159.

They

"On landing, the enemy poured down in torrents to the beach; they even rushed into the fea, and killed our men in the boats: but our brave fellows were not to be overcome. formed fteadily as they kept jumping on fhore, and fought under this difadvantage like lions. They were charged by a body of cavalry; they broke this charge, and receiving continual fuccours from the boats, they forced the enemy to give ground.

"It was at this moment of time that our right had gained the hill; for although there must be some distance in the defcription, there was very little in the time of the actions. The French troops perceived it; and, fenfible of the check they were under by this event, were forced immediately to think of a retreat..

"Not more than two thousand of our men were on fhore, when they forced the enemy to give ground: but every ftep was fought; was gained. And, at length, a victory (which will